Bereishit - Genesis 24

1And Abraham was old, well stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

2And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that he had: ‘Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh.

3And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.

4But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, even for Isaac.’

5And the servant said unto him: ‘Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land; must I needs bring thy son back unto the land from whence thou camest?’

6And Abraham said unto him: ‘Beware thou that thou bring not my son back thither.

7The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke unto me, and who swore unto me, saying: Unto thy seed will I give this land; He will send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence.

8And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only thou shalt not bring my son back thither.’

9And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master, and departed; having all goodly things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose, and went to {a}Aram-naharaim, unto the city of Nahor.

11And he made the camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.

13Behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.

14So let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say: Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say: Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; let the same be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant, even for Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master.’

15And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

16And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her; and she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17And the servant ran to meet her, and said: ‘Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher.’

18And she said: ‘Drink, my lord’; and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19And when she had done giving him drink, she said: ‘I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.’

20And she hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

21And the man looked stedfastly on her; holding his peace, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

22And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

23and said: ‘Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?’

24And she said unto him: ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor.’

25She said moreover unto him: ‘We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.’

26And the man bowed his head, and prostrated himself before the Lord.

27And he said: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord hath led me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren.’

28And the damsel ran, and told her mother’s house according to these words.

29And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the fountain.

30And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying: ‘Thus spoke the man unto me,‘ that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the fountain.

31And he said: ‘Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have cleared the house, and made room for the camels.’

32And the man came into the house, and he ungirded the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men that were with him.

33And there was set food before him to eat; but he said: ‘I will not eat, until I have told mine errand.’ And he said: ‘Speak on.’

34And he said: ‘I am Abraham’s servant.

35And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great; and He hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels and asses.

36And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

37And my master made me swear, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell.

38But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.

39And I said unto my master: Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

40And he said unto me: The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house;

41then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

42And I came this day unto the fountain, and said: O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now Thou do prosper my way which I go:

43behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the maiden that cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say: Give me, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher to drink;

44and she shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels; let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed for my master’s son.

45And before I had done speaking to my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the fountain, and drew. And I said unto her: Let me drink, I pray thee.

46And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said: Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. So I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

47And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she said: The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore unto him. And I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands.

48And I bowed my head, and prostrated myself before the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.

49And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.’